The Sun. — London, England, 1826-05-13 00:00:00

.~ lent perhaps be :temp veld* in strict propriety ought to be em ployed iiiilleviatingthe distress experienced in these districts.-- It was an error in the speech of the Hon. Member that his calcu.l Wion of the distress only extended to Manchester. It was felt throughout various branches of our population in Nottingham, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Yorkshire, and thence to the southern counties of Wilts and Sonierset, and all the western coasts of .Scotland and the shores of the Clyde were alike liable to the' influence of similar distress. Hence to deal fairly by those who would not'w3it to direct their district committees to purchase bonded corn to supply the distressed population, it would be necessary to give to each district committee a sum equal to that which they would have saved had the committee bought bonded corn, and so entitled themselves to the drawback or duty. In the Wisd of 'Engl4.ad it might not have . kern pnisible to wait or promise such a supply of foreign cern in time. In refusing, to agree to the,auiendment on these gronn4s, he con fessed he felt concerned that he could not aequiesee in a propo tithes Which he knew originated in the hest possible motives, ' and reflected honour' upon the:humane solicitude of the lloneur able Mover. Sir 3. WROTTESLEY was decidedly in favour of raising the nee~ry sum to meet the present distreoues, by means of volun tary eeetribution alone. By the present mode of subscription, not leSs than 200,000!. would be raised for this purpose. Mr. Secretary" PETE. apprehended the proposed measure weal . afford an opening to fraud. lie did not ice indeed bow fraud enuld . be prevented if the Committees for "local relief, after pur- Chasing of corn dealers, could procure certificates which would' entitle them to a restitution of the duty, Ile could not but think also that it would occasion a considerable derangement in the Corn Market. The three grounds of objection which he stated yester day, still appeared to him to have great force. Mr. BARING concurred in the opinions of the Right Hon. Secretary. Mr. STANLEY, finding that the sense of the Committee was against him, would not press his motion to a division. The clanee was then negatived. The House then resumed, the Report was brought up, and ordered to be taken into farther consideration on Wednesday next. MACADAMIZING WESTMINSTER. Mr.. ARBUTHNOT obtained leave to bring in a Bill for im proving the pavement of certain parts of Westminster. DEBTOR AND CREDITOR ARRANGEMENT BILL. Mr. BRIGHT was understood to say, in moving that the Re port on this Bill be brought up, that he would, at the Third Reading of the Bill, move to add a clause by way of rider to extend its provisions to Ireland.—The Report was then received, va , l the Bill ordered to be mid a third time on Wednesday next. Mr. ALRittyr lIN ur brought in the Westminster Pavement Im provement Bill, which, after a few words from Mr. Hume, was read a let and 2d time, and ordered to be committed on Wednes day next. ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE. M r . MISOSSON,inoved that the House at its rising do ad. journ till Wednesday next. FOREIGN CORN. Mr. HUSKISSON moved for a Itetnrn of the quantities of Foreign Grain of every desCription imported into this country up to the Ist of May 18';!5.—Ordered. NAVIGATION LAWS. . Mr. HUSKISSON rose and said, that iu the course of the Tart Session of Parliament, when the Trade and commerce of the country were nourishing, and when there was certainly plenty • of employment for merchant ships, the Honourable Member for Grampound had indulged himself in many oracular &militia tionisof ruin to the commerce and navigation of the country— denunciations which, whether from the general prosperity which then prevailed, or from the obscurity and mystery in which they were clothed had not, either in that Howie or elsewhere made mulch impression at the time when they were delivered. And during tint present Session Petitions hail been presented from the Shipping Interest of the - Port of London and of other ports, fore, boding that the effeet• of the relaxation of our maritime code - would.he. to undermine the . prosperity and destroy the pre-emi nence of our national navigation. When such forebodings had been .addressed tq Parliament from such quarters, be might euraly claim the natation of the House-004e, hear o— o n .subject. of so much importance, on a subject so closely allied to the maritime power of this country. He should be obliged, in order to make the subject intelligible, to enter upon particular and minute details; but the importance of the subject was such, that he felt no apology could be necessary for doing so. The object or our policy had been twefold—lst, To obtain as great NZ increase to our own commerce and navigation 'as was practi cable ; anti, Stdiy, to prevent any other state from engrossing too large a share of the carrying trade of the world. In pursuance of these obieets, We hail refused to every nation the privi, loge of importing to this country tiny goods the produce of a third power, and confined to each power the carrying trade of its own produce, in order to produce a certain equality in the division of the carrying trade, and to prevent any inordi nate proportion of that trade from being engrossed by. any One lower; and in order also that we might secure to ourselves the benefit of the carrying trade •in every case where the commercial, .marine of the nation with which we traded was deficient or intic- ties. When he stated that the great object of our policy was to procure and support a great commercial marine,• he might safely state, that no laws or regulations could accomplish this, without •we had employment for shipping, or, in other words, unless we Otisethiaed the advantage of a great national commerce. Without this, laws or regulationscould be of no avail. Whatever, there.. foret taml4 to extend commerce, must tend likewise to the in ept:see of navigation, for commerce and navigation were insepara bly interwoven. Ile knew that this principle was subject to mo dificationa ; be knew that the principles of free trade, most whole some in their general tendency, were yet subject to restrictions; tat Itmew that the interests of commerce were subordinate to the bibtreats of navigation, if in any instance they could be sepa aided. Our preference to the interests of navigation was founded upon the brat law of every state, upon the strong law of poll. 6441 necessity. It was dictated to us by the necessity of self protection, by the necessity of protecting our numerous and vain fiMe distant possessions, and our extensive commerce from the fingers of which, in the vicissitudes of peace and war, tiler mint ociAsionally be exposed. This preference was dictated to rei by • the necessity of maintaining our ascendancy upon, the ,oexiao, without. which we could no longer hold that proud station amongst the nations of the world which had hitherto been tittrs.-411car, hear, hear.)—Haviug thus set himself right with the House, having thus admitted that where conflict could be , auppoied to exist the interests of navigation - were entitled to the preference over every other national interest, lie must :pirrnittol to say, thatany thing tending to cramp com merce beyond the necessity was injurious not to co mmerce folly, but also to navigation itself. The questions then they hard to consider were simply these, whether the alterations which had taken place had exposed these great national interests to jeopardy or hazard ; whether they had so operated to the prejudice of any particular part of the shipping interest as to entitle it to any special or peculiar consideration; and thirdly, Whether the alterations had been adopted gratuitously, or • whether the state of circumstances had not been such as to ren der them necessary with a view to avoid still greater inconvenience. *gore however he joined issue with those who considered the al terations which haft bean adopted pernicious,he must trace a hasty . , awl Imperfect outline of the system upon which our navigation laws were founded, and of the alterations which those laws had recently undergone. The Act of the 12th of Charles 11. was the great charter of our navigation. Its provisions might be classed molar five heads. The ,first, head was that which related to lisheritsh It was enacted that all the property of the ocean, *mimed by this country, should be obtained by the industry of 04 r own Petplc• This provision was so obviously just and wise, twat no idteration, had been made in it, nor was any contem plated. Th i s aecond was that which gave the coasting trade of the vountry exclusively to our own shipping. At the time when this ,Act wait raiacd, it applied only to England ; sub sequent events had extemled its operation to Scotland and Ire imuL Every man Iv. old agree that, under this important head, Ito alteration ought to be attempted. Thii valuable mono poly remained now in the possession of our own commercial Thew, and must remain, so long as we wish to support our uteri. tinge supremacy. The third bead related to our commercial hi to-Course with the European Hnatinns. The ships of every state of Europe were permitted to bring any articles, the produce of such state, or any other produce actually shipped iu *oda finite, excepting Bolland, , of which he would say a wool 'and bye, and with the further exception Of certain articles, Which were known under the denotninttion of enumeruted The articles were generally of a' bulky deseriptiiM, and be brought only in .British ships, or in the ships of tins ,otate actually pteducing them. Such was our maritime law with _ re spect to Europe generally. It was, however, somewhat more ,eifformis with regard to Holland. The system was devised, not ugly with a view 14 promote our own direct interest, het under fr e liags of national jealousy, and with a desire to check the ad solexinent of our maritime rivals, the Dutch; the article accord itgiy w hi c h they were interdicted froin conveying .were the most sturtwous. The fourth head comprehended tour interintercoursewith • Apia, Africa, and America. The produce of ese quarter* of theglobe could only he brought hi British ships, and only from • quarter as a sin„ ele country, the particular, considering each The fifth head was, due where je we actually produced. iwp Which we sought to avail ourselves of the utmost tages which could arise from , our own colonies. They were prohibited from sending any part of their productions any where except to this country, or in any other way than in our ships, and they w:•re equally prohibited from receiving any thing except from as end in'our, ship*. This was a fair statement of the 'system, arm from the 'l2th of Charles 11. to the peace of 1783, it hail not been in any degree invaded. But a great change of Or cumetances had since taken' place, and the issue of the American wax had rendered it 'tees-emery materially to infringe upon that syetem. In the year 1755, that war broke out which was gene rally known by the name of the Seven Years' War. France and Spain at that time made war in support of their colonial claims. The stake involved in that antest was that of colonial supremacy, and it was won by British Valour and skill. It wag signalized by the capture of the Havannah, and England attained to the undisputed rank of mistress of the colonial possessions of the Western World. Ile need not stop to describe the proeress Which had since been made in extending our commerce Mal ex alting our greatnese. If they followed from this period the chain of events, they might trace tae true causes of the war with our American colonies. After the seven viers' war it becume,the great object of our policy to enforce more rigidly and jealously than he ctares if it were possible, our navigation law. Every attempt made hY the New England colonies to evade the existing restrictions and to extend their commerce, was .met by new regulations ; such, for instance, as that which compelled them to come to this coun try for every thing they wanted ; such its that which provided that if a ship from New England was strandell on the coast of Ire land, far Ireland was then treated us a colony, they should send to this country for a ship to convey whatever portion of the cargo might be preserved. If the conduct of this country had been inure prudent and less, jealous, the American war might probably have been avoided, lie knew that the right of taxation was the ostensible and declared ground of the war; but if they looked to the events between 1763 and 1773, it would appear that the mine was already charged, and the 'train laid by a perseverance in petty vexations; and that when the explosion at length took place, it was principally lieezuse the mind , of the colonists had been long I in a state caltileted to produce it. This war was a disastrous ' one, and we were compelled to conclude it by a humiliating peace, such a pities as, he hoped, the British Crown would never again have to submit to. Then after having submitted to the fo reign enemy, this country found itself compelled to capitulate with the Parliament of Ireland. Ireland then obtained all she claimed, and was put upon the footing of a part of the empire. The peace with America rendered a change of our Navigation Law indispensable. A new State had arisen on the other side of the Atleutic, which wise actuated by the natural desire of increasines its commercial importance end its political power. The peace of 1783, although it had silenced the din of arms, bad not extin guished the feelings 'of hostility, and it had created or fostered the spirit of commercial rivalry and iedependence on the part of the Americans. Previous to the Congress, which did not assemble till the year 1787, each separate state legislated in the spirit •of hostility to England, and with a zeal proportioned to its sense of interest or its feelings of exasperation. In sonic of the states we were prevented front trailing altogether. In others our commerc! was charged with heavy duties. They laid a tax upon the entry of every British ship of half a dollar, which was afterwards raised to a dollar, more then upon their own. They likewise im posed a duty of ten per cent. upon goods if imported in any other than their own ships. They bad been taught this lesson by the example of their aucestors, and they profited by it. It was obvious to how great a degree these measures must have milit .ted against the interests of our navigation. The Board of Trade of that day adopted whets projects to counteract this mischief.— First, they gave a bounty on all goods ',hipped for America, equal to the duty with which they would be charged on their ar rival; they then imposed a duty upon the importation of all Ame rican produce equal to that charged upon goods imported into America in British ships ; lastly, they adopted the principle of full retaliation. But all these measures, when examined in detail, and pursued to their consequences, were found to produce greater mischief to ourselves than to the Americans, and they were finally abandoned. The raw produce of America was necessary to our manufactures, and after a long struggle the present systeuit of equality of duty was finced upon us. The operation of our navi gation law, however, up to the period of the recent alteration, gave the commerce of America a decided advantage over the commerce of this country. That law prevented American shins from im porting European produce into England. The Americans retaliated upon us, und prevented our ships from importing European goods into America. The effect of these reciprocal interdictions was altogether in favour of America. If an American ships loaded at Liverpool, she could take in an assorted cargo for her own country ; she might be loaded principally with the produce of this country, and the rein of her cargo might consist of wine or brandy. But a British ship loading for Amer:ea was deprived of this advantage. lion cargo must be exclusively British produce ; if she went to America with a singl , pipe of wine on board she would he liable to confiscation. It was thus that by adhering to the Navigation Act we lied clone an injury to navigation. Then soon after the settlement with America ti war broke out with revolutionary France. This war was of so peculiar a character, that from its commencement in the year 1793 to its conclusion it Wits in vain to talk of system. The whole world was in confusion, and the settled policy of nations in abeyance!. During that war, America being the only safe neutral power, made great advances in commerce and navigation. England also, being enabled by means of her naval power to pro tect her commerce, extended her commercial marine, not- Withstanding every disadvantnge. All other powers were left without a marine ; so that from the year 1703 to 1815, there was nothing on this sea but the marine of America and England. ' But after 1815 other powers began to show themselves upon the , ocean, and checked in some degree the progress both of this country Foul America. But other circumstances also hal inter vened of a nature calculated to diminish time commercial marine of this country. Those who were old enough to recollect the debates upon the Slave Trade, its unfortunately was time case with him, muet remember that the advocates of that trade in sisted strongly upon the employment it afforded to our ship- ping. The same argument was in fact applied to this traffic as might with propriety he applied to the fishery on the coast of Newfoun lland a viz. that it was of importance to time sup port of our Navigation. Fortunately for the cause of humanity and of national honour these arguments did not prevail. But there was so much of truth in the arguments, that in elllll.. pining the state of our navigation at distant periods, the aboli tion of the Slave Trade was a circumstance which ought not to be forgotten. Another circumstance similar in some respects to that he had mentioned to diminish our commercial marine, was our treaty with the Algerines. This treaty had effected an en tire change in the commerce of the Mediterranean. Our inter terference to put down the piracies of the Barbary States was not like the abolition of the Slave Traci./ a duty of such a high moral obligation as to haee no alternative it was, however, highly honourable to our national diameter ; that we had interfered, and the more so, as the effect of our successful interference must have been foreseen to he prejudicial to our own snore distinct and immediate interests. We for merly possessed the monopoly of navigation in the Mediterranean, as our flag was the only one respected by the piratical States. Now all the little maritime States on the shorts of the Mediterra newt can navigate as safely es ourselves. He hid been told by a late respected Member of that House, Mr. Marriott, who had the "'hist Allis' of itiformatiorr, that the coasting trade of the Mediter ranean gave employmentlo eight oaten thousand British seamen. But at the close of the war there were several other circumstances which created a temporary pressure upnn our commercial marine. During the latter period of the war Government had employed a great many merchant vessels as transports, All these were now to he disposed of, and to cuter into competition with the ships previously engaged in commerce. , The number of transports dis charged was 1,226. 'Their tonnage mounted to 270,382, and they had been manned 11,16,000 seamen; a number equal to all that were employed its the military navy Of this country, and equal to one quar ter of the whole of our commercial navy at the breaking out of the war in 1792. The Gorernment bad also to sell out of 'the King's service a considerable nuniber of vessels. It was generally known that the large ship; of, war were openly sold with the ex press condition that they should be !Token up. The ships he spoke of were vessels; of from 150, to 4-00 tons, of these they sold as many as 330, amounting to 94,000 tone. So that if these numberis were added ' tegether, it Would niipear that they hull sent into competition with the existing commercial marine, 1,556 ships, carrying 301,000 tons, being considerably more than one fourth of all the commercial marine at the commencement Of the war. If in addition to these circumstances it was recollected that now a,ship is dispatched as soon as laden, and that former ly she was not 'permitted to sail without convoy, and as the Admiralty Could not make a convoy sail every day to every separate destinatien, the merchant ships were subject to con- Ciderable • detentior.ti ; and if the necessity . when 'sailing in Gees of accommodating their progress to that of the slowest Vietied - in the convoy was also taken into consideration, it wnliiii . perhaps not be _too much to compute that two. thirds of any number of ships would do us ninth now as the wilt number "could then have accomplished. The cessation of the fereigneenn trade was also a circumstance not to be forgot tee. Coin was a bulky article. There bad recently been little must of this trade, and whet there was naturally fell to the share of foreign ehips. Our detrunul for foreign corn, tinder the present system, seeding te out be a desultory, end lYsh, end always hurried. So that instead British to return with a cargo of corn, the merchant would always send an order for the corn he scanted to be shipped as speedily as possible in a foreign vessel. - Having stated these circumstances, he felt called upon to enter into de tailed statements, in order to show the country what was its real situation. He would first, however, call the attention of the House to the situation of our commercial marine in the year 1792, the year which saw the commencement of that war in which we were called upon to make such unparalleled efforts at sea :—ln the year 1792 the number of our slips was 16,079, the amount of tonnage 1,540,145; on the 25th of December last year our ships were 24,174, the amount of tonnage 2,542,000. That was, we have now a commercial marine two-fifths greater than - we had in the year 1792. He now thought it right to state what was the number of .qnr ships and amount of tonnage at the close of the last war :—Ships 24,860 ; tonnage 2,690,000. There had, therefore, it appeared, been a dithinntion since that period of 62;000 - tons. But the amount then in existence had been greatly in excess of the wants of the country, in consequence of the circumstances he had detailed. He now thought it neces sary to advert to the number of. ships built in this country at va rious periods. Ile had looked back to the year 1789; bait in consequence of the unfortutate fire at the Custom-house, he had not been able to procure such full or satisfactory information as he • desired. • He would, however, compare the number bnilt last year with the number built in the year 1813, the last year of the war:- 1814 —No. of ships built Tons - - Last Year.--Ships - Tons NAVAL INTELLIGENCE: 818 - 95,900 - 1,312 - - 171,900 - . Thus it was shown that the new tonnage of last year nearly doubled that of the year 1814, and he could only say that it greatly exceeded that of any former year. The only other crite rion to which he could refer was that of the number of ships cleared out awl entered inwards since the period of the relaxation of the navigation laws. He held in his hand au account since 1811. The statement which had been made by those whits pro fessed to feel some alarm fur the prosperity of our shipping inte rest, w.es that British Shipping . had decreased by comparison with foreign s hi p ping. Ile would make a comparison of ships en tered inwards, and the accounts of ships cleared out would be fal lacioue, from the circumstance of those sailing in ballast not being recorded. In the year 1824.—British ships entered into all the Ports of Great Britain - - 19,164 Tonnage - - - 2,364,000 In the year 1824.—Foreign Ships entered into all the Ports of Great Britain - _ - 5,380 Tonnage • - - 684,000 He would now look at the year 1825, when the New Syste:rn was in full operation. . In year 1825.--:-Britisli ships entered - - 21,786 Tonnage - • - 2,786,814 In year 1825.---Foreign ships entered - 6,561 Tonnage - - - 892,000. Gentlemen would see that in the year of great commerce and spe culation the increase of tonnage entered into our various ports was 422,000 tons of British shipping, and that of all the rest of the world only 197,000 tons. So that the only ground of alarm and sole foundation of grievance was, that whilst foreign shipping in creased, British shipping increased in a still greater proportion. He thought he had said enough to show that there was no cause of despondency or alarm. He would, however, carry this part of his inycatigation one step further. He was aware that the prin cipal alarm was directed to the State% of the North of Europe, awl particularly Prussia. The increase of British ships from the year 1824 to 1826, was as 470 to 942, whilst that of the Prus sian ships was only as 682 to 689. So that the number of Bri tish ships had doubled,whilst those of Prussia only increased by one fourth. He rested upon this, because he knew this Power to be more the object of jealousy to the shipping interest of England than any other, and to this he would advert fiirther He had also an account of the number of ships which had paid the Sound duties in going up the Baltic belonging to every different nation in the ten years preceding the late war, and also in the ten years from the year 1816 to 1825, both inclusive. He would confine himself, however, to the last five years, beginning with the year 1821 British. Foreign. 1821.- - - - 9,167 - - - 2,816 . 1822 - - - 10,000 - - - 2,000 1823 - - - 9,000 - - - - 3,000 1824 - 10,000 - - - 3,500 1825 - - - 13,000 - - - - 5,586 So that instead of our remaining at the former proportion of about one-third of the whole, we had lust year considerably exceeded it, and that in the year when the whole number had been the greatest it was ever known. lie would not now enter into any great detail, because he had moved fur these returns to be laid before the House, and they would soon be in the hands of lion. Members. For some time after the peace a great stag nation of commerce took place,. and a Committee of that House was appointed to investigate the commercial - state of the cotuary. His Right Hon. Friend the Master of the Mint took an part in the labour of that Committee, and by his zeal and assiduity, and intelligence, bad conferred the greatest advantages upon the conntry. By the recommendation of that Committee, several important changes took place in the law of navigation. One of these changer applied to the enumerated articles as !they were call ed—whereas formerly tkey could only be brought to this country in British ships, or in the ships of the country which produced them ; they may now he brought, not in any ships, but in the ships of the country where they are found. This alteration was necessary to promote the warehousing system which it had been determined to adept, and which would Otherwise have been counteracted by the hostility and the retaliating measures of other powers. The restric- - tions were so far from being an encouragement to navigation, that they proved a very great impediment to it; and the alterations in the Navigation Laws took place at a time when goods were likely to be imported chiefly from the places of their respective growth. It was thought that they would be sought for and brought fiom the countries of their production, and the result justified the anticipa tion. So far as the warehousing system was concerned, the facilities afforded were necessary to its very existence. There was another alteration, end one which he was ashamed to say had not been sooner introduced, for it certainly ought to have b een adopted much earlier. By the change to which he alluded, it was provided that the trade of Ireland should be put on the same footing with the coasting trade of this country. It was surely but fair that after the Act of Union between the two coun tries, their commercial intercourse should not be conducted on the principles of foreign trade. With regard to the New World, an other step had been taken, and it was determined that the Bra zils should be treated like any other independent State. He was surprised at the complaints which were tittered with regard to those changes by an Honourable Member. It was quite clear that an anxiety to create a commercial marine by the imposi tion of duties in favour of our own shipping, must excite jealous feelings in foreign nations, which might operate to prevent them from forming any commercial relation with this coun try at all, and those feelings could in no way he so certainly al layed as by the determination to found the intercourse on a fair footing of equality and reciprocity. He now came 'to the gra vsimen of the whole charge, the introduction of a law which did a way with the discriminating duties as to all those countries, which put our ships on a similar footing in their ports. In a general point of view it might be laid down as u rule, that all prohibitions were most unfavourable .to that country which possessed the largest Commercial Marine. The truth of the principle was fully illustrated by the superiority which it en abled us to obtain over Holland. Adopting that advantageous system we put down the naval power of the . latter country, and it was in fact the system for any nation to pursue which would raise its marine to the greatest eminence. The English wer e which obviously affo r d e d great exporters of valuable manufactured goods, whi c h r e qu i re d b ai u l t eu sm y al e l ho sh icm ips to fo t r b their use ‘vi c t o h n w ve h y o a r ; cc they dcaed. On the other hand they imported from Foreign Countries, as from America and the Baltic, articles of great bulk with a large portion of ton nage, and of course requiring large vessels. Our imports being more bulky, and of a less valuable nature than our exports, it fol lowed I:iat we were proportionally more liable to the disadvan tages arising from the prohibitory system. He knew indeed that this country at one time, as a measure of convenience, was in the habit of enfercing the Alien Ditties even on ships which brought the productions of their respective countries.-- This was the practice'from a period antecedent to the American 'Revolution, an event which laid the foundation of many and great changes since made, as well as of many others which were yet to come; inasmuch as a degree of interest and attention had been excited in the rest of the world, such as `existed at no for mer period, by the growth and progress of the United States.-- was wise indeed make such an arrangement as we did ; and yet it was one which he might say we were driven to make, or else we should be obliged to engage in a commercial struggle in which we would have been sure to be defeated. Let the system ference to oth er coun tries, anti the situation in whi c h E ng l an d wail be good or h a d, it s p ro duce was clear, when considered with re placed. Ile held in his hand the Report of the British Consuls at Danteic in the year 1822. That Report contained at translation of the Prussian Order of Cabinet, respecting an increase of the Governmeut port charges in the Prosaism ports, on vessels belong ing to countries between which and Prussia no reciprocity had been fixed by T rea ty, , or which did not otherwise treat Prussian ships and th e i r cargoes as advantageously as their own. Prussia s I had mule arrangements with Holland, Demnark, and America, for FRENCH PAPERS. ( From the Etoile, dated Thursday, May 11.) " CONSTANTINOPLE, APRIL 11. " The Ministers of France, England, and Austria, dispatched on the 7th and Bth, to their respective Courts, couriers, announcing the arrival of the Russian ultimatum ; and it is mid that, without being asked by 111. Menziacky (who has several times. declared that he was not instructed to ask their co-operation), they at the same time took some steps to induce the Porte to accept the ulti matum of Russia. The answer of the Divan is now looked for with great impatience. Many persons think it will be like that given in 1821. Mr. Stratford Canning continues with activity his negociatious with the Reis Effendi. ANOTHER LETTER or Tux 10ru. " The embarrassment into which the Porte is said to have been thrown by the intervention of Mr. Stratford Canning in favour of i has been increased by the ultimatum which the liassa 'Affaires has presented in the name of his a the c O ha ree rge ks, d Court, and to which be demands a positive answer. Th oug h it seems credible on the one hand that the Porte may comply with the demands of Russia, on the other, it is impossible that it should listen to the proposals of England in favour of the Greeks. On the other side, there is an accumulation of doubts, so inti mately connected with the ulterior existence of the Porte and of Islamism, that it will be difficult to find an issue out of this laby rinth. It is said, besides, that Missolonglii continua) to defend itself."—Augsburph Gazette. r z l2 an moieties, steer ingte. " TRIESTE, APRIL 28. " The Trieste Observer says , that on the 10th of April the Greek ta towards s o A f i S i sao 2 ships of war,had been tlfiae seen -shil to )s, passand FRENCH FUNDS.....-PARIS, MAY 18.--Five per Cents. 96f. 55 u , ; --Bank Stock, 2,00 5.---Neapolitan Itentes, 78f. 55c. Exchange on London, one month, 25f. 55e. ; three montheo 25f -485u,—Caurs Authentique. establishing a reciprocity in this respect, and the new regulation lutd evidently for its object to induce the other countries, particu larly Britainaeo enter into a similar agreement. In another part of the Report it was stated, that even vessels arriving in ballast, and taking a cargo back, would in future be burthened with about 37i pence per ton measurement more Government port charges than Prussian ships. The Prussian Government made this new port charge regulations professedly from the interest created by the situation of their ship owners, who were indeed all going to ruin. The consequence of this was, that in 1823, the year following, he (Mr. Huskisson) had memorials poured in on him from the English Ship-owners, stat ing that it became impossible for them to carry on their trade. They (his Majesty's Ministers) accordingly communicated with the Prussian Government. But could they say, who themselves hemmed the discriminating duties ? The Prussian Ministers in the course of that communication said, that it was designed in the year following to extend the charge to goods also in the shipping. The result would naturally be a' prohibition of all intercourse between the two nations. After the Peace was concluded 'with America in 1786, it wen difficult to call on the West Indian Colonies to draw all their wants from this country. Yet, as there was no wish to break throUgh the exist ing law, Orders in Council were issuell, allowing them to trade with the United States. However, after repeated dispensations, the States determined to prohibit the exportation of their pro duets. The English Government then established a kind of neutral ground, and suffered the trade to be curried on through the medium of Turk's Island. But this arrangement was again prohibited by an Act of the United States. In the year 1821, England allowed the United States to trade immediately to the West Indies, provided their vessels returned directly to their own country, while the European countries were permitted to send their commodities in British ships. Yet it was not common sense to suffer the United States to do what was refused to Den mark, Sweden, and other European States. He did not entertain any particular feeling on the subject, but ,in a na tional sense it must be felt that there was a rivalry between us and America. The other states, from their geographical po sition, were now calculated to assist us in a time of need. Last year he had proposed to open the trade in certain articles, allowing other countries to participate in the trade to the colonies. Now, last year, the shipping of the country was over-employed. Freights were very highly raised ; and when British shipping was exhausted, foreign vessels were re sorted to for the purpose of carrying ou mad speculations.— The House would he surprised to perceive what had been the increase in trading of last year over the preceding ones. In the article of timber, 110,000 loads was the amount for 1822, and 300,000 for 1826. The dealings with Canada were also very ex tensive. In 1822, 1,094,000 bushels of linseed were imported, and in 1826, nearly 3,000,000. So of various other articles. Be did not, however, think that the d:fficulties arising from over . —.. 0 .--- MEETING OF ?VII-. WARD'S FRIEND& trading were by any means confined to this country. lie called on those who raised clamours against tile individual who was in- Yesterday a strumental to the changes in the commercial laws, to point out was held at the City of London Tavern, for the pu ' re- which were the articles from a change with regard to which the pose of considering the best means of securing .1 1 s meeting of the friends of 'Air. Wera r. public distress resulted. Ile bad showed that the unhappy effects flowed from overtrading, and not from any change in the law, for London at tide ensuing. General:Election. turn as a re resentative in Parliament. for the city 0 he defied any one to prove how the removal of duties from raw . produce could affect manufactures. Our over - trading.or free- mg was very numerously attended. Clu ' '''' trading, for that was the bug-bear in paper credit , and in sp ecula- Mr. T. Cuans moved that Sir C. Price should take the ' Lions in foreigit funds, was the true cause of the distress.—(Hear, The motion was carried unanimiouely. • 'ten 4 hear, hear !)—And with that the state of the currency, which Sir C. Pince said, that it rarely fell to the lot Ili . A Cltivll gave a facility to those speculations for the last two years. He London to preside at a meeting so respectable as that . ' d o iog r would therefore move ~ Fur a R e turn of the Number of Ships he found assembled. Ile cipreesed his pleasure ut 0 % ..... „ built in the British dominions between the years 1 824 and 1825, the deep interest taken in the subject by his fellow-tinted gin both inclusive, distinguishing the number of each year, and the It was highly necessary that they should at all t il l s te eila s amount of the tonnage." • as their representatives to Parliament, men who were ,1 1 t , bether Mr. BARING said, that there was hardly any thing the to the task, but at none more than the present. count dahorete speech of his Right Hon. Friend, from which he ai .. they considered the general distress under which di v e . other fered. He rose chiefly with a view to express. his thanks to he laboured, or the competition which it was running ' ll ,l l ' l l sste 3 Right Hon. Friend, and he was sure he only express d the ael- countries, it was highly important that they sim ul _ o f tee imp of all gentlemen interested in the commercial affairs of the main who was well acquainted with the commercial iiitereseci a . , t. country, for his perseverance in introducing a system of laws so country, who was able to speak on all questions a rising g re it ; # beneficial to them and to the country at large. and who Vas ready to come forward on every occasi""• - 10 e Mr. ROBERTSON contended that the statements of the Right hear!)—When they looked at their friend Mr. Ward, they Hon. President of the Board of Trade were at variance with the man of this description.—.(Applause.)--In the coursevreofger. statements which had been laid upon the table of the House fitr Canvass they had met with pereons who hail said, they the last six years. it M. W. Rid'eti, Mr. Ellice, Col. Gordon, Mr. Wilson, Mr. of Aldermen. He (Sir C. Price), as a citizen, and the tz ,:::, ale Court for 1 Reinhold, and Mr. flume, then addressed the House. rally in the habit of seeking their rePreeentatives ront‘vt,oC°eu.rnt Alderman, would gladly seek in that resPecstee„a he Mr. C. GRANT declared his intention of not treapaSsing long, pmentative; hitt at the resent time, when eircumcoart, ow: , at that hour of the night, on the attention of the House;— changed, and merchants were not to be found in tb4 aentative of indeed, he could have wished that Bon. Gentleman, instead of . must not be confiued to it for their c hoice of a reprivo_..wheit rushing wildly into this discussion, had waited until they had the interests of tin'- mercantile comm unity.a-4 11 `;, 8 ._, ) , t0r of seen the pars Printed which his Right lion. Friend had th y knew that Mr: Ward was an efficient member, e e _le a r!le of of „ i n cilfliaonruli roroo t: nim clear aei;jllute,liigna: preftented. They would then have avoided many errors into hi; hat connitercial body in the kingtioni—via. di 15 :0 ; ainee pt which 6, they had now a l mos t unavo id a bl y fallen. Th e H en . land—when they were informed aids exteusive comics. c aware that Right Hon. Friend had deceived himself in the view which he be could not ffi ' ' ' time Gentleman who had just sat down had told the House t hat his the muluvrelii‘ I -- community, they must at o . o,e )o l : t e an t interests, had taken of the shipping interest. To that observation he and at the devote stittitmeutTier;itt.erbitt.t:lo d would merely reply, that the printing of the papers would best duties which devee e lv Aberdeen were right in the view they had taken of the subject. meat and of d independe nt Pr ine P les ' Mae whether his Right Hon. Friend or the Hon. M e mber for —(llear!)—Theyshouldneen nd to Parliament a m h o , : I would wither The great object which his Right Hon. Friend wished to accom- be allured fromlama sad ' ' tb bv the plausibility , To e h the tried . p of a, character fur libetant).ao,., vho `plisk by Ids statement of that night, was to prove to the na- ries, or b Lion that the complaints made against' them out of doors were should sen y d t e thfaseciirnetione,,entative a matt e e „„ u nd 11; 1 ) v ( I ti ; oot utterly unfounded, and t h a t th e meaSures 'which he had in- would he unfettered dby plans 'r or theories uf an ki nd ' , to wo uld he troduced had not had any effect in diminishing the comm mean to that re l ' dal Mr. Ward) was •. Mau WI man who cial marine of the country, but on the. contrary had considerably b' t I say o its trite of ( tiiii ; et bet that be was a derwh iril increased it. If at the same time that our commercial marine had witmgoutliotiod fasttlie told statetli ' e rinciple g S and i those practices_oeacour. Dr increased, our foreign commerce had also improved, it was an ac- it could be proved the country had prospered. lit O a jot , ta ttle. cession to our commercial wea lth, and formed no cause of coin- their canvass, be hue! been ought, upon a general view of the question, to have been lef out of tion ofhis f ' d tto su calhel on to grant tio con . e te ,vter i ta e w of 'node= tale', plaint against his lion. Friend. He admitted that the two last ears. Catholics. He (Sir C. Price) believed that it wati th. ) a . ,,, t aelict , the calculation of hi s Ri g ht H o n. Wend, but th ere was t e .s u ffi- and would o r n i re u° t him P from the condition tit: Atou ll dent reason for his Right Hon. Friend's introducing them, pay.. point be would ' b su e P irteh r eken ; yet he would not tie le i .a e lvoteo t, ticularly into his statement of that night, and that was, that any pledges.—(Hear, hear !)--Ai a man of sotind i d eb rietter the earliest Reciprocity Act was passed about two years ago. he should be sent in free from any .Pledge whicl!no; c itisea . Much had been said i n the course of the evening of the expel) his future conduct. He would Come before his le , )et thee to which British shipping was liable. Undoubtedly it was sub- independent in mind and poeseeeion of a fortune I p i ca wo o jest to greater charges than foreign shipping. But that was Bei* be circtimetuncee in which a wen's ind e PV ot e en teas a l not a new discovery ;on the contrary it had been the subject bet nd a ng e red, where hi' ent into the House of , 0, b e re of remark more than a ce ntury ago. He did not state that fact potical adventurer. (Hear, hear - conclus!) ~nowlede to justify the con ti nuance o f th e present charges, but merely to peated th a t Mr. Ward wa s a man ea' independence, of s o show, that the difference of expence in fitting out the British of business, and in every way qualified as one, °I the e and the foreign ship did not make the difference in their employ- representatives of this commercial metropolis: . 0 oecealt, port any contession to teear en so ment. The question of the charges to which British shipping Mr. C. BeiteLav, the brewer; said lie attended on : se no doio . was liable, had been taken into consideration by the C o m m itt ee as the r e pr es entative of Southwark, and there co uld ee 1 0 0 3 upon Foreign Trade. They examined several witneeses on that die livery of that place would eupport Mr. ye the ye l 9 the subject, and the result of their deliberations was, that was considered that the great question of free trade ee tion f t '. though the freight in British vessels was dearer, there were be discussed, and that the important and coeflicting On of 0 , 0 1.- circumstances connected with them, as their better building, lative to the Corn Laws would come beerre the lip u ' c iee a off i ' l l navigation, seamanship, &c., which made the merchant give a mons to be derided, no doubt whatever could be ente rrs d, te es a' s preference to them. As a colleteral support of the assertions necessity of choosing a candidate, who, Lee mr. war m , car of that Committee, he would tell the House, that in America s'quaiuted with the commercial interests of the cmin Th . eY v l r i e the Chairman of a Committee on American navigation had oh- didates did he say? His friend was no candidate. e „ t e. ' ft! ' served, that though American navigation was dearer than ours, candidates to him to allow them to become his ean s r ea elf 41 ; they were enabled to support it, because they were enabled to was a man of independence, who would toot 1 11 .e a g e .i Tais P k " ' 1 make 3 voyages where we only made 2. He should not offer any the vote he would give on any partietthir question' the dots 'in further remarks to their consideration, as his Right Hon. F r i en d however. he would give—not to take am' °lur.' lit ryas til" el D had so completely exhausted the subject that it was impassible for which he had no time to perform. TheY nug,eriag'a - i him to say any thing which had not been said much better already, would not support any visionary schemed of r e form, 1 ). t o, y) ha il The first resolution was then agreed to; as we re a l so th e o th e r ward any scheme from personal vanity. lie (l tir ' jet n3 t thrq s e tl e- t resolutions, as they were put seriatim from the Chair. to congratulate the country and the city. at large! . fro A n 0 ,, The other Orders of Day were then disposed of, and the House send a representative to Parliament utibboacel bY P l6 ,'' B i t e o r d adjourned at 111.1. r-PAST Twetevx o'Ceocx, till Wednesday nest... fettered by professions. He was not such it tool as a) IV ''' • nor was le (Mr. Barclay) such a fool as to support,ll4.nelepreol:: —(Applause.)-41e ooncluded by liver a Ileeoluti n o 0 tbti ci of the opinion of the Meeting, that the ehould ee ' lor a the country, and of loyal and independent political Vi v o la the representative a person well acquainted w'itli the le a u c l ike rt. THOMAS Wieeoel, Esq. of Waruford-court, lice° . 0 sohition, which teas carried unanimously. . to the '' u i Mr. Alderman C. S3trrlt, in.nioviug a resolUtl °3 w ee ,e that Mr. Weal was a person eminently q ualified tu wbee liel 4 t t Representative of the City in Parliament, sai d that his fri ejid• in the Corporation no man so eminently qualifie d ait to 11411 ' Ward, he did not hesitate to give hisivealous supp er oett , T. Messer, Eeq. seconded the modem . 1 giog tbe dPi r R. BOK RADAILE, Eel. moved a resolution ped , 3 ing individually to use their exertions to Seeltrp , the row" . t., r ot t- Ward to Parliament. ' , 3 forme m et R. IL MARTIN, F..itl. giconded the motion. On ' , a l oa did b' i eat l qe sion a grave citizen had uesured him that to aloof .. . T oy oe . '" sentative for the City any one who was nut an Able!: . . wo rld' do(Lacommercial man as a Representative for this Metr r asugmhtuecr.h)_danfregeue anstituhdeedFrheynethirgißuevgoltuitiwolutecesaityo .. 01i9, 0,10 e was the emporium of the world. iota, he el Mr. Wenn then rose, under coneiderable ag ee l 0 lilted " e fte The resolution was carried unanimously. • sor i ''', he was quite eure thev were tco Well acquit , .iy b i l • . . , most °e e l' Ig nature not to be convmeen that ne wae ino - at e ,O • eas ed tov' e en by the kind sentiments which had been ixPr ~ 1 up on r ti• by his zealous friends. When Mr. Wilson det' o. ll ,! ix e e re, he t , 1 (moan the contest, he (Mr. Ward) was 11 fortnient.. 004 e i l i , l c.t, termined upon offal-Mg himself -to his fello-01"s, vies ii. had thus delayed, in the hopes that qualified would present himself. TLe Letent ri sP, ;00 . e •utico, og,, was then, by the kind encourageneeet of I,:e f ~.., ,„,ee to „, a flame, wbiche he found it impestable to resist' .titc:iro'dy..,o,l There was uestion 'to which he wiel l ed I *l ; e d gi". I one q l ie i ee o vert. Being unainuainted :with eel. v eee I ..gt ..„' .f i ut f° incautious answer to a question which Liu , ' [O ,- .• some AO Warikwof Rio The African Steam-boat, intended for the use of the Goveruni of Sierra Leone, arrived at Santa Cruz, Teneriffe, on the 39th March, alter a passage of 17 days from Portsmouth. She proved to be an excellent sea-boat, but her masts and yards were found rather heavy, and her complement not sufficient, DEvoNrokur, APRIL 11.—Arrived on the 9th, the Adventure, surveying vessel, Capt. King, bound on a voyage of discovery and surrey. The Caledonia, 120, is to undergo a thorough repair. She is now alongside the north jetty of the yard; discharging her ballast, and will be taken, the next Spring tides, into the dock lately oc cupied by the lirpregnable, which is preparing for her reception. By the latest calculations, made with the best astronomical in struments and a pparatus, the difference of • longitude between Drake's Island and Cape Clear, was ascertained to be 5 dcg. 29 min. 17 sec., that is, assuming it to be correct, that 4 d e g . 9 min. W. is the true longitude of the former spot, Drake's Island. The sentence of death passed on 'John Fox, late a seaman an board his 11Iajty's s'iip Blonde, for striking his superior officer, is not to be carried into execution ; it being commuted to twa ytmrs imprisonment in the Marshalsea. [FROM LLOYDS.] Drat, APRIL 12.—Wind N.E.--Pasted through from River, the Edger, Campbell, for Janni.—ltentains lii' Majoty's ship Ramillies. - PORTSMOUTH, Ar ELIL 12.—Witlfl E. N. E.—A rri ve,l the Hope, Lave, front St. Michaels; Elizabeth and Mary, Craig, from London for Grenada. PLYMOUTH, Arm I f.—Witl W.--Arrived WO" Trader, transport, from Newport, with 23,1 Welch Fusileers, Guernsey. - LtvEarom., - Aram, 11• Wind N.—Are,vad the Barton , Banks, from Barluuloes ; Henry, Verin.rd, froM"New (Mono, Lord Charles Somerset arrived off Weymouth yesterday, Atlas, Hine, front China and the Cake of Good Hope; the Mellish, Cole, from Calcutta, and the Cambrian, Ci.o . kson, The Coldstream, Albion, Fudford, Thalia , Bombay. . . arrived at Madras previous to the 17th January. - d The Vrow, Maria, front Batavia, arrived oil' the Cape of Goo. Ho;)e. Wellington, Evans, from London, arrived at Pondich err y . The Norfolk, Grey, from New South Wdert, arrived at Ma. dras, and Bailed fromJanus') ' 'thence, for Calcutta, on the ti th Janus')'' and Child Harold,